LORDSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The path to get a second $1.2 billion power plant built in Lordstown is being met with another hurdle.

The most recent hiccup involves a complaint and a request to pull the plant’s construction certificate based on the project being totally zoned industrial. However, according to the complaint, much of the project site is on property zoned residential. TEC has filed a petition to rezone the residential areas to industrial, but the proposal was rejected by the Village of Lordstown following complaints by some residents.

Hill said the complaint is a bit of legal jockeying to make sure that some noise and lighting issues and complaints from some residents are being addressed with this second plant. He said the Siting Board could very well decide to let construction continue.

“They are still working. The plant is going to be built as far as I am concerned if they address those issues,” Hill said. “I don’t think anyone wants to stop that project.”

Hill said this second plant would be a bigger financial gain than the first and that the village and Lordstown Schools stand to gain millions of dollars in the PILOT program. And then after five years, normal taxes would take over.

In May of this year, residents near the energy center asked for the rezoning vote to be delayed, saying that the facility that is already there is causing issues such as noise and lighting nuisances. Some also said that their adjoining property had been damaged. Public comments were heard at a June 2023 council meeting, and a vote was taken concerning the zoning request by Clean Energy and it was rejected with a vote of 5 to 1.

Clean Energy must file a response with the Siting Board by Aug. 22.